When Dr. Sakota Thorell signed onto the mission to scout out a new, habitable planet, she knew discovering extraterrestrial life was always a possibility. But she never expected to find an alien adrift in space, nor for that alien to be so intriguing. Sakota feels an instant and undeniable attraction to Astraeus, but he represents a million possibilities, and just as many threats.
There are others hunting Astraeus, and his rescue may cost Earth its last hope.
“What are you called? What’s your name?”
He opened his mouth, and she moved closer, eager for his first words. Instead, he focused on her lips with obvious fascination. His intriguing eyes caught the light. Despite her disappointment that he couldn’t speak, a rush went through her. Alien or not, he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, with the kind of ethereal elegance some upper-class, privileged men on Earth spent fortunes on plastic surgery trying to achieve.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk, or if you can’t. We’ll get there. Now, I’m going to check you.” She kept her voice gentle, as she might use with a child. She pressed the button to disengage the protective bubble over the med bed and shone the retinal scanner in her own eye to demonstrate. “I just need to look at your eyes with this.” She motioned with the scope to him. “It won’t hurt. I promise.”
Warm puffs of his breath blew on her neck as she leaned in. She paused, noting the remarkable eight-pointed star-shape of his pupils. The mutation was his one physical difference, and only if one looked closely. The pupils dilated when hit by the scope’s light. She’d never seen eyes as remarkable.
“You’re doing great,” she soothed. Her head burst with countless questions.Where are you from? How did you get here? What do you want?
He appeared to like the cadence of her voice. His posture relaxed, and his breath against her was steady. How long had she been staring into his eyes? Should she push her luck and try to examine his mouth?
Before she could try, his finger stroked her inner arm. He was still restrained at the wrists, but he could reach her.
She allowed it. He stroked a featherlight finger along her forearm. As he did so, his gaze never left hers. She offered a kind smile. “That’s right. Friend. Sakota. Sa-ko-ta.”
He opened his mouth and let out a chicken-like squawk. “-Ota,” he said in a throaty, deep voice.
She raised her eyebrows. “Good. Very good.”
He tilted his head, watching her lips. “Gooood.”
Excited, she lowered the retinal light. “Can you understand me?”
He looked confused. “Me…”
“Okay. That’s a no. Then let me take this opportunity to say, in no uncertain terms, you, my friend, are the stuff of dreams and legends. I’ve waited my whole life for this. Are you getting this, Alistair?” she called out.
He came in over the speakers. “I am. Amazing. I’ll get to work on a linguistics program. Our friend seems to want to communicate.”
She moved to pull away, but the man’s fingers closed over her wrist.
“Let me go.” She jerked her arm, but he wouldn’t release his grip. She gave him a cautionary look, and he loosened his fingers, though he still held her. Warning bells went off.What if he’s not here in peace?But his eyes sparkled impishly. He seemed to enjoy her skin pressed against his. Maybe he hadn’t been touched in a while. Or maybe he had a crush. Who knew.
Before she could extricate herself, the intercom chimed. “Sakota, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. He’s just being friendly—”
The man’s forefinger trailed along her arm again. She sucked in a breath and shut her eyes as a series of images flashed through her mind.A high wall made of stacked stones. A hand spread out to touch the tips of tall, golden wheat of a field. Multihued buildings in the distance under a purple sky. Children’s laughter and then screams. She jerked when the images changed.Strange rain, like metal. Black ships attacking from the sky, horrible screams which rent the air, death.A gentle brush against her hand again. She inhaled and opened her eyes. The man searched her, calm and patient. She struggled to see straight, but her mind spun.
“W-was that your—”
The isolation walls shot up. Rutledge burst into the room and advanced like an angry bear, brutish, immaculate, and combat ready in his black Oceanstone fatigues. “Let her go,” he snarled.
Rutledge yanked the man’s hand off her and pushed her aside. She fell to the floor on her back in a dizzy haze, reeling from the vision. She turned her head. The man bellowed and tore loose from his restraints. His and Rutledge’s images faded into one as they collided and fought. Rutledge’s weapon whirred as he strained to activate it. The rifle propelled over her head and hit the wall.
“Stop.” Her pleas fell on deaf ears. She closed her eyes.
The men barged into the room with heavy footfalls and angry shouts. She opened her eyes, but her vision swirled. The blurred image of the alien lifted Rutledge’s lieutenant like a kitchen chair and catapulted him in the same direction as the weapon. “Stop,” she hollered to the men. “Don’t shoot him. He wasn’t attacking me.”
Another soldier fell to the floor with a sick thud, holding his stomach. “Yeah? Well, he’s attackingme.”
The alien pounced over her, crouching low. He caged her with his body and made a guttural rumble in his throat, a warning to the men. She turned her head to the marines, who zeroed their weapons in on them.
He opened his mouth, and she moved closer, eager for his first words. Instead, he focused on her lips with obvious fascination. His intriguing eyes caught the light. Despite her disappointment that he couldn’t speak, a rush went through her. Alien or not, he was the most handsome man she’d ever laid eyes on, with the kind of ethereal elegance some upper-class, privileged men on Earth spent fortunes on plastic surgery trying to achieve.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk, or if you can’t. We’ll get there. Now, I’m going to check you.” She kept her voice gentle, as she might use with a child. She pressed the button to disengage the protective bubble over the med bed and shone the retinal scanner in her own eye to demonstrate. “I just need to look at your eyes with this.” She motioned with the scope to him. “It won’t hurt. I promise.”
Warm puffs of his breath blew on her neck as she leaned in. She paused, noting the remarkable eight-pointed star-shape of his pupils. The mutation was his one physical difference, and only if one looked closely. The pupils dilated when hit by the scope’s light. She’d never seen eyes as remarkable.
“You’re doing great,” she soothed. Her head burst with countless questions.Where are you from? How did you get here? What do you want?
He appeared to like the cadence of her voice. His posture relaxed, and his breath against her was steady. How long had she been staring into his eyes? Should she push her luck and try to examine his mouth?
Before she could try, his finger stroked her inner arm. He was still restrained at the wrists, but he could reach her.
She allowed it. He stroked a featherlight finger along her forearm. As he did so, his gaze never left hers. She offered a kind smile. “That’s right. Friend. Sakota. Sa-ko-ta.”
He opened his mouth and let out a chicken-like squawk. “-Ota,” he said in a throaty, deep voice.
She raised her eyebrows. “Good. Very good.”
He tilted his head, watching her lips. “Gooood.”
Excited, she lowered the retinal light. “Can you understand me?”
He looked confused. “Me…”
“Okay. That’s a no. Then let me take this opportunity to say, in no uncertain terms, you, my friend, are the stuff of dreams and legends. I’ve waited my whole life for this. Are you getting this, Alistair?” she called out.
He came in over the speakers. “I am. Amazing. I’ll get to work on a linguistics program. Our friend seems to want to communicate.”
She moved to pull away, but the man’s fingers closed over her wrist.
“Let me go.” She jerked her arm, but he wouldn’t release his grip. She gave him a cautionary look, and he loosened his fingers, though he still held her. Warning bells went off.What if he’s not here in peace?But his eyes sparkled impishly. He seemed to enjoy her skin pressed against his. Maybe he hadn’t been touched in a while. Or maybe he had a crush. Who knew.
Before she could extricate herself, the intercom chimed. “Sakota, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. He’s just being friendly—”
The man’s forefinger trailed along her arm again. She sucked in a breath and shut her eyes as a series of images flashed through her mind.A high wall made of stacked stones. A hand spread out to touch the tips of tall, golden wheat of a field. Multihued buildings in the distance under a purple sky. Children’s laughter and then screams. She jerked when the images changed.Strange rain, like metal. Black ships attacking from the sky, horrible screams which rent the air, death.A gentle brush against her hand again. She inhaled and opened her eyes. The man searched her, calm and patient. She struggled to see straight, but her mind spun.
“W-was that your—”
The isolation walls shot up. Rutledge burst into the room and advanced like an angry bear, brutish, immaculate, and combat ready in his black Oceanstone fatigues. “Let her go,” he snarled.
Rutledge yanked the man’s hand off her and pushed her aside. She fell to the floor on her back in a dizzy haze, reeling from the vision. She turned her head. The man bellowed and tore loose from his restraints. His and Rutledge’s images faded into one as they collided and fought. Rutledge’s weapon whirred as he strained to activate it. The rifle propelled over her head and hit the wall.
“Stop.” Her pleas fell on deaf ears. She closed her eyes.
The men barged into the room with heavy footfalls and angry shouts. She opened her eyes, but her vision swirled. The blurred image of the alien lifted Rutledge’s lieutenant like a kitchen chair and catapulted him in the same direction as the weapon. “Stop,” she hollered to the men. “Don’t shoot him. He wasn’t attacking me.”
Another soldier fell to the floor with a sick thud, holding his stomach. “Yeah? Well, he’s attackingme.”
The alien pounced over her, crouching low. He caged her with his body and made a guttural rumble in his throat, a warning to the men. She turned her head to the marines, who zeroed their weapons in on them.
Astraeus is a very well and intelligently written sci-fi story that made me feel like I was watching a sci-fi movie from beginning to end. The heroine, Sakota, is an intelligent, strong woman from Earth who has to deal with the politics of her spacecraft while trying to learn more about an alien (she dubs him 'Astraeus') found outside their ship. Sakota and Astraeus have a sweet "fated mates" romance but it is really in the background of what is more a sci-fi adventure. It includes the fun technology I love to read about in my future/sci-fi reads, as well as very cinematic battle and suspenseful scenes rounding out the climax.
– Vicki
I like some sci-fi books, but not at all all of them. But this book made me really interested. The author made a good background information, and an idea that made me hooked on the book. A new author for me, but I would love to see what Else she dishes out.
– Susanne B-B.
This story is extremely exciting! From the start it captured my interest and I have been glued to the page throughout. Whilst out in space on a mission Sakota is busy doing her job. The discovery of an alien floating in space next to their spaceship changes her life completely. What’s more, she seems to have an immediate connection to he alien which confuses her and excited her at the same time I don’t want to say anymore about the plot, save to say it is extremely exciting, well thought out and executed. The characters are well developed with their own personalities and they interact very well. I love Sakotas relationship with Astraeus. This story is even better than I expected and I was in no way disappointed. I am hoping there will be a book two!
– SJ
Dr. Sakota Thorell is the lead Doctor on a space exploration from Earth. Earth is in ruin. Humans have destroyed their home, destroyed each other, and now their best hope for survival is to find a new planet. She always expected to find alien life but not to find it (him) floating outside the window of her lab. Astraeus looks human but his differences are vast. His body, mind, and soul are superior. He is evolved in a way humans could only aspire to. But he is alone, the last of his kind. Lethal aliens attacked and destroyed his homeworld and he was the lone survivor. Sakota and Astraeus have an instant bond but he has unknowingly brought the danger with him. His rescue may not be the salvation they were hoping for, but their end. This book was not what I was expecting at all. It's a thoughtful sci-fi romance. Its release is timely, to say the least coming the same week that Earth's scientists issue a statement that unless we can reverse current temperature changes our planet will be irreversibly damaged putting all life in peril. Unfortunately, I don't see actual humans responding any better than the historical fictional humans of this book. It's a true cautionary tale! I won't even touch the political history mentioned in the book, except to hope that it's not an omen. I do appreciate that multiple sides of humanity were presented. The same characteristics that make us violent and thoughtless can also help us survive. It's our nature, good and bad. Sakota was one of our best. Brilliant, grateful, curious, and thoughtful. Astraeus was a wonder. His physical and mental make-up, his strength and restraint. I enjoyed getting to know him through Sakota. The story itself was multi-layered, sweet, interesting, and exciting. I look forward to more. The next story of resilience and survival and love.
– Jennifer G
Not my usual genre, however, the storyline was well written, the plot was well planned and the characters were written with great detail and depth which kept me totally glued to my kindle until the very last page!
– Pat W
– Vicki
I like some sci-fi books, but not at all all of them. But this book made me really interested. The author made a good background information, and an idea that made me hooked on the book. A new author for me, but I would love to see what Else she dishes out.
– Susanne B-B.
This story is extremely exciting! From the start it captured my interest and I have been glued to the page throughout. Whilst out in space on a mission Sakota is busy doing her job. The discovery of an alien floating in space next to their spaceship changes her life completely. What’s more, she seems to have an immediate connection to he alien which confuses her and excited her at the same time I don’t want to say anymore about the plot, save to say it is extremely exciting, well thought out and executed. The characters are well developed with their own personalities and they interact very well. I love Sakotas relationship with Astraeus. This story is even better than I expected and I was in no way disappointed. I am hoping there will be a book two!
– SJ
Dr. Sakota Thorell is the lead Doctor on a space exploration from Earth. Earth is in ruin. Humans have destroyed their home, destroyed each other, and now their best hope for survival is to find a new planet. She always expected to find alien life but not to find it (him) floating outside the window of her lab. Astraeus looks human but his differences are vast. His body, mind, and soul are superior. He is evolved in a way humans could only aspire to. But he is alone, the last of his kind. Lethal aliens attacked and destroyed his homeworld and he was the lone survivor. Sakota and Astraeus have an instant bond but he has unknowingly brought the danger with him. His rescue may not be the salvation they were hoping for, but their end. This book was not what I was expecting at all. It's a thoughtful sci-fi romance. Its release is timely, to say the least coming the same week that Earth's scientists issue a statement that unless we can reverse current temperature changes our planet will be irreversibly damaged putting all life in peril. Unfortunately, I don't see actual humans responding any better than the historical fictional humans of this book. It's a true cautionary tale! I won't even touch the political history mentioned in the book, except to hope that it's not an omen. I do appreciate that multiple sides of humanity were presented. The same characteristics that make us violent and thoughtless can also help us survive. It's our nature, good and bad. Sakota was one of our best. Brilliant, grateful, curious, and thoughtful. Astraeus was a wonder. His physical and mental make-up, his strength and restraint. I enjoyed getting to know him through Sakota. The story itself was multi-layered, sweet, interesting, and exciting. I look forward to more. The next story of resilience and survival and love.
– Jennifer G
Not my usual genre, however, the storyline was well written, the plot was well planned and the characters were written with great detail and depth which kept me totally glued to my kindle until the very last page!
– Pat W
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Thank you for having me on the blog today! I'm available all day to answer any questions for readers. I hope you all check out and enjoy Astraeus.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Haley